Box blank separator



1948- M. VAN BRUMMELEN 2,455,36

Dec.

BOX BLANK SEPARATOR Filed July 11. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I.

' 1n ur In re!) tor Mar/nus Van Brumme/en cc. 7, 1948/ M. VAN BRUMMELEN2,455,836

BOX BLANK SEPARATOR Filed July 11, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 42 Fig. 3 I

Fig. .5

[EN- amaa -nmmansQ 66 ml 68 I5 5 ///l/\ 6 g 34' 2a Inventor 34 Mar/nusVan Brurnme/en Patented Dec. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT v OFF-ICE 6Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to box making vmachines, and moreparticularly to a box blank rating individual box blanks from aplurality of such blanks stacked on a rack.

A primary object of this invention is to overcome the tendency of theboxes to catch on each other and to jam, as these boxes are moved from arack onto a conveyor in conventional machines usedin the box makingindustry, particularly to overcome the tendency of boxes having slits orwindows to jam when an end of a box blank contacts the edge of the slitsor window openings in another blank.

Anotehr salient object of this invention is to provide a rotaryseparator having an anti-frictional member adapted to project throughthe window opening of such a blank, shifting the outermost blank from aplurality thereof stacked a rack, and bearing against the underlyingblank to prevent the same from shifting from the rack.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rotary separatorwith a plurality of arms, and means to render one or more of these armsinoperative. When two of these arms are provided, rendering of one ofthe arms inoperative will halve the rate at which the blanks are fed,when the device is turned at the same rotational speed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for a deviceof this character to prevent the blank contacting members from'movingrapidly relative to the rotating disk whereon they are supported, thisfeature preventing vibration and erratic action of the separator.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a device ofthis character which is relatively inexpensive and practicable tomanufacture, extremely simple to adjust and use, and which will givegenerally efi'icient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts andportions as will be hereinafter described in detail in thisspecification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part ofthis application, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the separator mounted on a drive shaft,together with a rack and a plurality of box blanks having windowstherein and stacked on this rack;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1and also including a frag- 2 mentary portion of a conveyor positioned toreceive the blanks as they are fed from the rack;

Figure 3 is another side elevational view of the assembled separator,the view being taken from the side opposite to the side illustrated inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view ofthe separator, takenon the line 4-4 in Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 5 is a sideelevational view of the disk used to mount the armportions of the separator, portion-3 of the disk being broken away andthe underlying portions shown in section and elevation to illustrate howthe two halves of the disk are connected.

Similar characters'of reference designate similar or identical parts andportions throughout for use in feeding box blanks which are apertured orwindowed as at E6 and these blanks will ordinarily be fed outwardly fromthe leading edge id of the rack onto a conveyor 20. It will beunderstood that the blanks i i may be in any one of many stages ofmanufacture, the windows l6 having already been formed therein, and thatthe same blanks will be transmitted by a conveyor 2d or some analogousstructure to be operated upon, as in the application of adhesive or theapplication of Cellophane coverings for the window it.

The disk, generally indicated by the numeral 22 in Figure 5, isconstructed in two parts 2 and 28, the part 26 having secured thereinaligning pins 28 and the part 24 having-bores adapted to register withand to receive the ends of these aligning pins. Elongated studs.3fi areinserted through suitable bores formed in the part 26 and arethreadingly engaged in aligning bores which are threaded in the part 25,thus facilitating the attachment of the disk to the drive shaft Hi. It

' will be understood that conventional means such as splines or keys maybe added to assure rigid.

connection of the disk 22 on this shaft. Each of the parts of the diskare provided with transversely disposed arcuate slots 32' for thepurpose hereinafter made abundantly clear. The rocker arm it, preferablyof slightly s-shape is provided 3 in duplicate and pivoted to the diskby bolts 88 which may have incorporated therewith any suitable bearingstructure, these bolts 36 being threadingly engaged in bores tapped andthreaded in the disk 22, It should be noted that one of the rocker arms,that designated as St is formed with an aperture 38 and an adjacentportion of the disk is apertured as at 40, so that the arm may be movedinto what is hereinafter referred to as the retracted position andretained in this position 'by inserting a bolt through the apertures 38and 30, one of these apertures being preferably threaded to facilitatethe securem-ent of this attaching bolt in place. If preferred, thisattaching bolt may be carried on the disk by tightly threading the sametherein, as indicated at 52 in Figure 3 One end of each arm 36 and 36'is provided with a transversely disposed journal member M and a bearingmember 4'5 whereby a roller 58 is freely rotatably mounted. The otherend of each arm is provided with a pin 50 rigidly secured therein andextending in both directions from the arm, the portion thereof extendingtoward the disk 22 being accommodated by the slot 32 and carrying thesleeve bearing 52. A spring 5 3 is terminally secured to the pin 58 andto a bolt 56, so as to bias the rocker arm in one direction. The otherend of the pin 59 is pivotally secured, as at 58, to the outer end ofthe piston rod 65. This piston rod 60 is connected to a piston 62comprising a metal washer and a flexible washer and adapted toreciprocate within the cylinder 6%. The disk E l is provided with aprojecting lug 5B which is apertured to receive a pivotal attachingscrew 68 threadedly engaged in the disk 22 and provided with a lock nutit and a spacer sleeve 52. The structure detailed above comprises asubstantially conventional dash pot which may be generally indicated bythe numeral 76, and it will be understood further that a suitable cap 16will be threadedly engaged on the outer end of the cylinder 6d and thatthe base of the cylinder (i l will be provided with a very smallaperture 18 in conventional manner. It will be understood that thespring structure and the dash pot structure is in duplicate andSimilarly associated with the arms 3t and 3d.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from theforegoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken inconnection with the above recitation of the objects sought to beachieved by this invention. In recapitulation, the rollers 48 areconsecutively brought into contact with the blanks M, a portion of theroller passing through the window it in the blank and bearing upon theblank underlying that blank which is shifted by the roller Q8. TheFigure 2 clearly shows the main principle of operation of thisinvention, since this figure illustrates how the roller will prevent theunderlying blank from moving away from the rack i2. Each of the rollers43 is dimensionally adapted,. as to width and diameter, for partialentrance into, and frictional engagement with the edge of a window 16 inthe outermost of a stack of blanks M, during the operation of thedevice. The roller will have rolling friction only with the immediatelysucceeding and underlying blank, while more forcefully engaging andshifting the outermost blank. Although the dimensioning of the rollerand other portions of this invention is critical, it is believed thatthose skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will beenabled to construct and to use a machine according to this dinventicnand this disclosure of the invention, without the inclusion in thisdisclosure of the specific dimensions of the various parts. The deviceis so constructed that exacting adjustment of the biasing means for thearms is not required, and substitution of diflferent springs 66 may beused to adjust the device when required, it being obvious that manysuitable means may be incorporated with these springs to make the sameadjustable and that such minor modifications of this invention fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof. It is also within the scope of thisinvention to substitute means differing from the roller structureillustrated in the drawings and though there has been shown a particularembodiment of this invention, this application is not limited to thisparticular embodiment, but it is desired to include in the scope of thisinvention the construction, combination and arrangement of parts andportions substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A device for consecutively separating individual blanks havingwindows from a plurality of such blanks stacked on a rack, comprising adisk rotatively mounted adjacent the leading edge of a rack..a rockerarm pivoted on theside of said disk, and means to bias said arm into aposition with one end thereof extending radially beyond the periphery ofsaid disk, said one end having a journal, and a roller freely rotativelymounted on said journal, said roller being dimensionally adapted forpartial entrance into, and frictional engagement with the edge of, awindow in. the outermost of a stack of blanks, the roller having rollingfriction only with the succeeding underlying blank after said outermostblank has been shifted by the roller.

2. A device for consecutively separating individual blanks havingwindows from a plurality of such blanks stacked on. a rack, comprising adisk rotatively mounted adjacent the leading edge of a rack, a rockerarm pivoted on the side of said disk, means to bias said arm into aposition with one end thereof extending radially beyond. the peripheryof said disk, a roller freely rotatively mounted on said one end, and ashock absorber operatively connected to and between-said arm and disk toretard the movement of said arm relative to said disk, said roller beingdimensionally adapted for partial entrance into, and frictionalengagement with the edge of a window in the outermost of a stack ofblanks, the roller having rolling friction only with the succeedingunderlying blank after said outermost blank has been shifted by theroller.

3. A device for consecutively separating individual blanks from aplurality of such blanks stacked on a rack, comprising a disk rotativelymounted adjacent the leading edge of a rack, a rocker arm pivoted on theside of said disk, means to bias said arm into a position with one endthereof extending radially beyond the periphery of said disk so thatsaid end will consecutively contact and shift said blanks when the diskis rotated, and a double acting dash pot connected between the outer endof said arm and said disk to retard motion of the arm relative to saiddisk and thus to prevent undue vibration in the device.

4. A device for consecutively separating individual blanks from aplurality of such blanks stacked on a rack, comprising a disk rotativelymounted adjacent the leading edge of a rack, a

menses rocker arm pivoted on the side 0! said disk, and 1 means to biassaid arm into a position with one end thereof extending i'adially beyondthe periphery of said disk so that said end will con- .secutivelycontact and shift said blanks when of said disk, and means to bias saidarm into a position with one end thereof extending radially beyond theperiphery of said disk; said one end having anti-friction meanstoproject successively through an aperture in each of said blanks and tobear against an underlying blank with less friction than thatvappliedagainst the outermost blank'preventing the shifting of saidunderlying blank while shifting the outermost blank,

6. A device for consecutively, separating individual blankshaving'aperturesfrom a plurality oisuch blanks stacked on a rack,comprising adisk rotatively mounted adiacent the leading edge of a rack,a rocker arm pivoted on the side of said disk, and means to bias saidarm into a a position with one-end thereof extending radially beyond theperiphery of said disk, said one end having a roller to projectsuccessively through an aperture in each of said blanks and to bearagainst an underlying blank with less friction than that applied againstthe outermost blank preventing the shifting of said underlying blank.

while shifting the outermost blank.

MARINUS VAN BRUMLHZLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'oithis patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 763,159' Cross June 21, 1904822,791 Waite June 5, 1906 I FOREIGN PATENTS 25 Number Country DateQreat Britain 1899

